"We always talk about the preliminaries being key for us at the championships because how you place out of the preliminaries goes toward the team battle," so says Auburn head coach David Marsh. If that's the case Tigers did exactly what they needed to in advancing eight of twelve individuals into tonight's finals at the NCAA Swimming Championships.

With five in finals and three back for consolations, Auburn leads the list of qualifiers for tonight. Host Georgia ranks second with four up and two down while Arizona, qualifies five for tonight, with four of those swims coming in the 50 freestyle.

Georgia and Arizona set the tone early on with the 200 freestyle relay. Kara Lynn Joyce jumped out with a lead-off 21.77, fully a half-second ahead of her nearest competitor and over 3/10 under her pool record. The Bulldogs rode that lead into the top spot for tonight with a 1:28.74. Not far behind is Arizona. The Wildcats will occupy lane five just 0.13 behind the home team, but did so without the benefit of Jenna Gresdal who posted a 22.37 later in the morning. Cal-Berkeley, on target for a 4th place time, suffered disqualification, thus enabling Texas A&M and Florida to make it into Finals and Consols respectively.

The Bears rebounded in the next event to place two swimmers - Erin Reilly and Ashley Chandler - into the big final of the 500. Auburn's Adrienne Binder leads the field and a trio of Auburn swimmers (including Hayley Peirsol and Chelsa Hauser) into the big final. Georgia and SMU each bright three swimmers back tonight, with one in the big final and two in consols.

In the 200 IM Whitney Myers is in position to move up from last year's runner-up position, having posted a 1:57.19 to lead the field tonight. Tricia Harm and Mary Descenze go in seeded second and fourth while Auburn added two more in the big final and one in consols.

Kara Lynn Joyce dusted the field in the 50, again, finishing in the lead by nearly 1/2 second. Arizona put three swimmers in the big final while Texas A&M's Aljand became only the third A&M swimmer in the last 10 years to qualify for an individual championship final/